Sheet-metal box.



w.F. CONWAY. SHEET METAL BOX.. APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1914.

2 7, I Patented Jan.23,1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

WILLIAM F. CONWAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TROY LAUNDRYMACHINERY COMPANY, LTD., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF 7 NEWYORK.

SHEETeMETAL BOX.

Application filed May 29, 1914. Serial No. 8 11,6131.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM F. CoxwAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sheet metal boxes, and its purpose is to providea box of simplified and improved construction.

In the construction of sheet metal boxes, it is very desirable tosimplify and cheapen the construction as much as possible and to providea tight closure so that such boxes may be economically employed in largenumbers as meter boxes, switch boxes, cut-out boxes, chemical closets,or the like, in which uses it is essential that the interior of the boxbe substantially free from dust or moisture.

The structural feature of most metal boxes which adds to the cost andintricacy of the construction and which interferes most largely with theformation of a tight closure is the hinge connection between the co 'erand the box proper.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to improve sheetmetal box con struction by providing a simple, efiicient and easilyconstructed hinge connection. It is also an object of my invention tootherwise improve the box construction in order to provide a tightclosure.

These and other objects will be more particularly set forth and madeapparent in the following specification taken in connectior with theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view'with parts broken awayof a sheet metal box embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 shows a sectionthrough the box of Fig. 1 at right angles to the longitudinal axis ofthe hinge connection, and lower part of the box being broken away. Fig.3 shows a view similar to that in Fig. 2 with the cover of the box inopen position.

' Like numerals refer to like parts and elements in the several figuresof the drawings.

Referring to the drawings the bottom portion of my improved box, notshown, is

provided with upwardly turned lateral fiangeswhich are secured to thevertically extending side walls 10 and front and rear I walls 11 and 12respectively, by means of therivets 13. The vertically extending walls10, 11 and 12 are mutually secured at their meeting ends by rivetswhich. engage regis tering apertures in the inwardly turned flanges 11-,and the corresponding adjacent wall section.

The front wall 11 and side walls 10 are provided with the inwardlyextending transverse fianges 11 and 10 respectivelywhich form a seat forthe cover of the box which is designated by the numeral 15. The cover 15is provided along its front'and side edges with downwardly dependingintegral flanges 15 which are adapted to closely lit the outer surfacesof the side walls 10' and front wall. 11. v

At the rear of the box the vertically extending wall 12 has its upperedge portion turned outwardly and dio' wnwardly in arcuate form toform'a bearing of substantial semicylindrical form extending completelyacross the rear upper edge of the box, as shown at. 16. The rearwardportion 17 of the. cover 15 which is formed of a single sheet of metalis downwardly bent concentrically witlrt'he curved portion of the wall12 to coact with said curved portion, as clearly shownin the drawings.The portion 17 of the cover 15 should terminate inwardlyof the rearwardextremity of the curved portion 16 of the wall'12 in order to preventthe cover from being moved upwardly from its bearing. Thecurvedrportions l6 and 17 of the wall 12' and cover 15, respectively,are maintained in contact with each other by thekeepfer 18' whosedepending flange 19 is riveted or otherwise secured to the wall 12 andwhose outwardly extending portion 20 is' curved, as shown at 21, tocoact with 'aportion' of the outer surface-ofthe curved portion 17 ofthe cover 15. Upwardly of the curvedportion 21 the keeper 18 preferablyterminates in a plane substantially parallel to the wall 12,- as shownat- 22. If desired, however, the extremit-y-22 ofthe kee er 18 may begiven" a slight rearward inclination Patented Jan. 23,1917.

from the rear wall 12 of the box. The depending flanges 15- adjacent theside walls 10 terminate at their rear ends outwardly of the wall 12, asshown in the drawings, in order to close the aperture at the innerconverging extremities of the curved por tions 16 and 17.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have providedan improved hinge connection between the box proper and the coverthereof, which can be readily formed from the integral sheet metalplates which are used-in the formation of other parts of the boxstructure and which readily enables the cover of the box to be turnedinto the open position shown in Fig. 3. It will be apparent that as thebox is turned into open position, the curved portion 17 of the coverrotates upon the curved portion 16 of the rear wall and coacts therewithat all times so that there is no aperture therebetween through whichmoisture or dust may enter the interior of the box. The curved portion17 is maintained in contact with the arcuate portion 16 of the wall 12by means of the keeper 18 whose concentric curved portion 21 coacts withthe outer surface thereof. It will further be apparent that the cover issupported in its open position by means of the keeper 18, whose outwardly projecting portion 20 supports the curved portion 17 of the coverand whose extremity 22 bears against the outer surface of the cover 15to limit the backward turning thereof. It will further be evident thatwhen the box is in closed position, the inner surface of the cover 15coacts with the parallel flanges 1O and 11 of the side walls 10 and 11respectively, thus providing a tight closure around the entire upperperiphery of the box. This tight closure is further perfected by thedownwardly depending flanges 15 which coact with the outer surfaces ofthe vertically extending walls of the box.

A box constructed according to the principles of my invention comprisesa very small number of parts and may be readily formed from the usualsheet metal from which such boxes are usually constructed Without thenecessity of providing additional elements for forming the hingeconnection. I have found that these boxes are particularly adapted to beused as cut-out boxes,'switch boxes or meter boxes, but it will beapparent that they may be used for many other purposes in which a simpleand cheap construction is desired together with the further advantage ofa tight closure. If it be desired to use the box as a switch box orcut-out box, the side walls or bottom portion thereof may be providedwith the usual knock-outs through which the electrical conductors may beintroduced to the interior of the box.

It will also be understood that my improved hinge connection is notlimited to sheet metal boxes but that a hinge formed of sheet metal orthe like in accordance with the principles of my invention may be usedon boxes constructed of wood or other material.

In the foregoing application I have illus trated and described aspecific embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood Icontemplate the formation of other structures of widely divergent formwithout departing from the spirit of my invention as embodied in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A dust and moisture proof sheet metal box comprising rigidlyconnected side and bottom walls, an outwardly and downwardly curvedflange along the entire upper edge of one side wall, said flange lyingwholly outside of the vertical plane of said side wall, a coversurrounding the upper edges of the side walls and having a downwardlyand rearwardly curved flange along one entire edge thereof conforming toand surrounding said curved flange on said side wall, and a keeper stripsecured along the entire length of the outside of said side wall curredoutwardly and upwardly to extend around the curved flange on the coverto retain the same in engagement with the curved flange on the side walland to serve as a stop to limit the opening movement of the cover.

2. A dust and moisture proof sheet metal box comprising rigidlyconnected side and bottom walls, an outwardly and downwardly curvedflange along the entire upper edge of one side wall lying wholly outsideof the vertical plane of said side wall, inwardly projecting flatflanges along the entire upper edges of the other side walls, and acover surrounding the upper edges of the side walls and having arearwardly and downwardly curved flange along one entire edge thereofconforming to and surrounding said curved flange on said side wall,whereby said cover when closed closely engages adjacent vertical andhorizontal portions along the upper edges of all of the side walls.

3. A dust and moisture proof sheet metal box comprising rigidlyconnected side and bottom walls, an outwardly and down' wardly curvedflange along the entire upper edge of one side wall lying wholly outside'of the vertical plane of said side wall. in-

wardly projecting flat flanges along the en tire upper edges of theouter side Walls, a. cover surrounding the upper edges of the side wallsand having a rearwardly and downwardly curved flange along one entireedge thereof conforming to and surrounding said curved flange on saidside Wall, and a keeper strip secured along the entire length of theoutside of said side Wall curved outside Wall and to serve as a stop tolimit the opening movement of the cover.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

\VILLIAM F. CONWAY.

Wardly and upwardly to extend around the Witnesses: curved flange on thecover to retain the same VVILLIAM BARTHOLOMEW, 1n engagement with thecurved flange on the C. M. LEARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

